Easy Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients (Serves 2-4):

- 1.5 cups Pumpkin Puree (canned)
- 0.5 cups of milk/almond milk (or any other kind you prefer)
- 1 large sweet potato
- Ground Cinnamon
- Optional: 2 tablespoons brown sugar OR 2 tbsp honey
- Salt and Pepper

1.  Peel and cut the sweet potato into small cubes
2.  Place in boiling water and boil for 15 minutes, until the sweet potato is very tender
3.  Drain the sweet potato, and save around 2 cups of the drained starchy water
4.  Using the same pot, on high heat, combine pumpkin puree, milk, and sweet potato water until the liquid is smooth.
5.  Lower heat to medium, and add sweet potato cubes. (At this point if you like your soup thinner, add more water or milk - if it's too liquidy, you can add more pumpkin puree).
6.  Add a pinch of cinnamon, brown sugar or honey, and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for a few minutes.
7.  Serve with a piece of bread (optional) and enjoy!! 

Up Close with Zumba's Tanya Beardsley

I love Zumba, so I wanted to share this interview (taken from Shape Magazine's website) about some good fitness tips and information about Tanya Beardsley, (a Zumba Education Specialist and one of the top Zumba instructors!).

Quick post: Breakfast

I haven't had much time lately to update the blog, but I'd like to share a quick pic of my breakfast the other day...   I also have another recipe coming up soon for my Pumpkin and Sweet Potato soup! 

Oatmeal with milk, honey, vanilla, and cinammon... topped with fresh berries and chopped almonds

Turkey Chili

This is a nutritious, fibre-filled meal.... and delicious too!! I made this turkey 2-bean chili for dinner tonight, and it was very difficult not to have seconds!

Ingredients (Serves 4-6):

-Minced turkey meat (~ 5 oz)
- 1 can Red kidney beans (chili style)
- 1/2 can Chickpeas (rinced with cold water to remove excess sodium)
-1 large red pepper (diced)
-White onion (diced)
- 2 cups Crushed (canned) tomatoes/tomato puree
- 1.5 cups Chicken stock (or just boiling water with the sauce from the red kidney beans can)
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-Chili powder
-Paprika powder
-Oregano
-Sriracha sauce
-Cheddar cheese, grated (optional - to sprinkle on top of each bowl)

1. In a sautée pan, fry the turkey meat in a little bit of olive oil until browned (over medium high heat)
2. Add garlic, diced onion and diced red peppers, and cook for another 3 minutes,
3. Transfer to a deep pot, keeping it over medium high heat.
4.  Add the tomato puree/crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, beans, a few drops of sriracha sauce and   spices to taste .  Simmer for around 5 minutes.
5.  Cover pot, lower heat to medium low and simmer for around 45 minutes to one hour until the chili thickens to your liking. 
Enjoy over rice and sprinkled with cheddar cheese and/or spring onions!

Stuffed Grape Leaves

This was my first attempt at cooking grape leaves (by myself!), and they turned out pretty well :)  They're simply stuffed with rice, minced meat & spices and boiled slowly for 1.5 hours.... served with yoghurt and cooked tomatoes:

A Snowy Surprise

I had my italian lesson earlier on this week, and as I left the class to go back home I was met with this surprise!

I don't think the picture captures how sparkling the snow was.... in real life it looked so amazing and it seemed so peaceful...